KABUL: A British envoy held talks with senior members of Afghanistan's new Taliban government in Kabul on Tuesday, officials said.

Senior civil servant Simon Gass met with deputy prime ministers Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi, the British foreign office said.

They discussed how Britain could help Afghanistan address a deepening humanitarian crisis, terrorism and the need for safe passage for those who want to leave the country.

"They also raised the treatment of minorities and the rights of women and girls," a British government spokesman said.

Taliban say Afghanistan has the right to be recognised

"The (UK) government continues to do all it can to ensure safe passage for those who wish to leave, and is committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan."

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban's foreign ministry spokesman, said the meeting "focused on detailed discussions about reviving diplomatic relations between both countries".

He added that Afghanistan's foreign minister wanted Britain to "begin a new chapter of constructive relations".